The effects of norepinephrine biosynthesis inhibition on the consolidation of two discriminated escape responses

Male and female mice were treated with diethyldithiocarbamate immediately following training on two discriminated shock escape tasks, and mice trained on a light-dark discrimination task to a criterion of five out of six consecutive errorless escapes were significantly poorer in terms of savings scores when tested 1 week later.

Abstract

Male and female mice were treated with diethyldithiocarbamate, a dopamine β-hydroxylase inhibitor, immediately following training on two discriminated shock escape tasks. Mice trained on a position discrimination task to criteria of either three out of four or nine out of ten consecutive errorless escapes were unaffected by treatment with diethyldithiocarbamate. However, mice trained on a light-dark discrimination task to a criterion of five out of six consecutive errorless escapes and treated with diethyldithiocarbamate were significantly poorer in terms of savings scores than control mice when tested 1 week later. Mice similarly trained on the light-dark discrimination to a criterion of nine out of ten consecutive errorless escapes and treated with diethyldithiocarbamate did not differ significantly from control mice. When treatment with diethyldithiocarbamate was delayed for 1 hr after training to a criterion of five out of six consecutive errorless escapes, such treatment was ineffective.